The fortnightly OTA updates are easily the best part of Marvel Snap; these are small number changes and tweaks to the most and least played cards in the game, allowing for little meta shakeups that keep the game feeling fresh. And this week’s OTA update is pretty exciting, as it comes with significant buffs for various cards that have seen little to no play for months.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Hawkeye
● [Old] 1/1 – On Reveal: If you play a card here next turn, +2 Power
● [Change] …next turn, +2 Power. ->…next turn, +3 Power.
Apart from a stint in Cerebro 3, Hawkeye sees next to no play after players complete the tutorial. It’s about time to give our local archer some sharper arrows to play with. We want to keep Hawkeye’s base Power at 1, to keep some interesting texture between him and Misty Knight in the starter deck. Plus, he’s just a more interesting card if most of his Power is on his ability. Could Hawkeye become a candidate for Bounce decks that can repeatedly get the bonus off his On Reveal? He’s certainly got a better shot of it now.
Hulkbuster
● [Old] 3/4 – On Reveal: Merge this card with a random friendly card at this location.
● [Change] 3/4 -> 3/5
Hulkbuster is a unique enabler card that just doesn’t have enough Power to see play. In the distant past it’s seen play in decks with Deadpool and Multiple Man, but nowadays it just doesn’t do enough for its Cost compared to other options. We’re excited to see where players make use of a buffed Hulkbuster, and for its combo potential with next month’s season pass card. While a 1 Power buff doesn’t look like much, cards that combo with Hulkbuster multiply the bonus they get from it, so it’ll be more impactful in practice.
Vision
● [Old] 5/7 – You can move this each turn.
● [Change] 5/7 -> 5/8
Vision has only really seen play a long time ago in a Lockjaw deck. He hasn’t really found a home since then, and with the release of cards like Phoenix Force that fulfill similar roles, Vision fell by the wayside. We’re giving him a bit more Power to work with, while keeping him below the Shang-Chi threshold at 9 Power.
Captain Marvel
● [Old] 5/6 – At the end of the game, move to a location that wins you the game. (If possible)
● [Change] 5/6 -> 4/5
Theoretically in a meta where Lockdown decks are prevalent, Captain Marvel should be a great tool to help smooth out your board at the end of the game. This hasn’t been the case though, and in practice she only sees very fringe play in Hela decks. At her current statline, Captain Marvel just doesn’t have enough Power to justify her high Cost. Going to 4 Cost should give her more locations, or rather decks, to move to.
Absorbing Man
● [Old] 4/3 – On Reveal: If the last card you played has an On Reveal, copy its text. (if it’s in play)
● [Change] 4/3 -> 4/5
Although he has an exciting line of text, Absorbing Man has struggled to find a deck to shine in. Absorbing Man draws a lot of parallels to Wong, as they share a Cost and both double On Reveals. Wong has a few advantages though, as he can be played proactively so he can more efficiently enable plays on turns 5 and 6. Wong also affects multiple turns whereas Absorbing Man only activates once. We’re giving Absorbing Man a sizeable chunk of Power to make him more viable to experiment with.
Really, the only change that could be kinda considered a nerf this week is the tweak to Captain Marvel’s cost and power. Getting reduced to 5 power means she’s a less impactful at the end of the game, but it’s worth noting that you’ll now be able to get her out early if you include her in your Zabu decks.
Aside from card changes, Marvel Snap is also getting some mini tweaks in Conquest mode, in terms of how many Medals you can earn per match. Here are the changes:
-Proving Grounds
- Entry – 15 (No Change)
-Silver
- Entry – 20 (No Change)
- 1 Win – 150 (+75)
- 2 Wins – 200 (+100)
-Gold
- Entry – 75 (No Change)
- 1 Win – 250 (+100)
- 2 Wins – 300 (+100)
- 3 Wins – 350 (+50)
-Infinity
- Entry – 200 (No Change)
- 1 Win – 400 (+100)
- 2 Wins – 500 (+50)
- 3 Wins – 600 (+50)
- 4 Wins – 800 (No Change)
- 5 Wins – 1000 (No Change)
This is the last week of the season, meaning you’ve only got a few days left to grind out Medals in Infinity Conquest. These changes should make it much easier for the player base to clear out the shop.
Marvel Snap is now available on PC and mobile devices.
About the author
